Galolhu South MP Ahmed Mahloof -- Photo by: Mohamed Sharuhaan

Galolhu South MP Ahmed Mahloof says that Member of Parliament for Maamigili Constituency Qasim Ibrahim was kidnapped and held in violation of the privileges and powers legally granted to Parliamentarians. He said those involved in carrying out this act, can be prosecuted on terror charges.

MP Mahloof, currently serving a jail term in Maafushi jail, said, via a press statement, that President Abdullah Yameen, Home Minister Azleen Ahmed, Commissioner of Police Ahmed Areef, Judge who signed the warrant, Police officers who gave the instructions to arrest and the officials involved in the arrest can all be charged for carrying out an illegal order under terror charges with a liable jail term of ten years.

Mahloof said that with Qasim’s arrest, it had clearly shown that the Government was complicit in the vote taken to impeach Parliament Speaker Abdullah Maseeh. He added this and other similar reactions showed how much President Yameen was scared of the opposition and that the Government was crumbling.

Mahloof thanked the leaders of the four parties allied with and championing his cause. He said their efforts continue to give him hope. He also noted that he was arrested arbitrarily as well.

Mahloof called on public to vote in the May 6th Local Council Elections, as the first step to ending President Yameen’s rule. He said that based on the 2013 election results the opposition can amass Nasheed’s 49 percent vote, Qasim Ibrahim’s 25 percent and President Maumoon’s backing, the opposition can gain around 90 percent of the vote.

Mahloof is currently serving the last dregs of his cumulative 10-month, 24-day jail sentence on obstruction charges. He is to be freed on June 8th.